Into the Film with Music : Measuring Eyeblinks to Explore the Role of Film Music in Emotional Arousal and Narrative Transportation

In this chapter, we explore whether eyeblinks can be used as a measurementof spectators’ narrative transportation into a cinematic narrative. In ourexperiment, we show that spectators’ eyeblinks increase when watchingfilm clips together with what might be called congruent music. Increasedeyeblinks indicate an emotional arousal that motivates attention, whichin turn is a prerequisite for narrative transportation. Hence, our thesis isthat a specific interaction between film and music facilitates and increasesnarrative transportation in cinematic narratives. Indeed, eyeblinks might bean effective method for answering deeper questions about the captivatingaudiovisual experience that is film.

@inbook{1a14ee30-2439-40d3-b4ab-307c9d059927,
abstract = {In this chapter, we explore whether eyeblinks can be used as a measurement<br/>of spectators’ narrative transportation into a cinematic narrative. In our<br/>experiment, we show that spectators’ eyeblinks increase when watching<br/>film clips together with what might be called congruent music. Increased<br/>eyeblinks indicate an emotional arousal that motivates attention, which<br/>in turn is a prerequisite for narrative transportation. Hence, our thesis is<br/>that a specific interaction between film and music facilitates and increases<br/>narrative transportation in cinematic narratives. Indeed, eyeblinks might be<br/>an effective method for answering deeper questions about the captivating<br/>audiovisual experience that is film.},
author = {Wallengren, Ann-Kristin and Strukelj, Alexander},
editor = {Dwyer, Tessa and Perkins, Claire and Redmond, Sean and Sita, Jodi},
isbn = {9781501329029 },
keyword = {eye tracking film music,film music,narrative transportation,film music and emotions},
language = {eng},
month = {01},
pages = {65--85},
publisher = {Bloomsbury Academic},
series = {Seeing into Screens: Eye Tracking and the Moving Image},
title = {Into the Film with Music : Measuring Eyeblinks to Explore the Role of Film Music in Emotional Arousal and Narrative Transportation},
year = {2018},
}